Economy of the USSRT
The economy of the USSRT is a socialist planned economy based on state-ownership of the means of production, collective farming, and five-year plans. As of 2015, public sector employment was 74%, whilst the private sector employed some 26% of the population. However, capital investment requires approval from the government and is heavily restricted. Despite reforms beginning in 1984, the Tabi'atstani government still maintains a tight rein on the economy, and macroeconomic stability is put at a higher priority than economic growth. However, practices such as price controls have been loosened, and attempts have been made to decentralise control over industry to workers' collectives and local management. History In the aftermath of the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War and the reestablishment of communist party authority, the Tabi'atstani government was able to take advantage of rising copper prices to fund its reconstruction effort and support the rest of the economy. Regional economies Economic development and wealth has been centred around three main conurbations; the NAME, the NAME, and the NAME. Development Although small private family businesses with less than five branches were allowed since the formation of the USSRT, by the 1980s the economy had stagnated and production had ground to a halt. As such, it was recognised that reforms were needed to vitalise the economy, and that the lessening of government control in areas such as the production of consumer goods would be beneficial in achieving this goal. The Tajdeed reform program instituted in 1984 by the government of the USSRT has led to steady growth in the then stagnating economy. Whilst the government has allowed and encourages to a small extent the privatisation of businesses producing consumer goods and working in the tertiary market, sections of the economy considered strategically important to the state such as agriculture, banking, and heavy industry remain under state control. Furthermore, the state has since reforms started been giving cash incentives to workers and peasants who produce more than their set quota, and has also allowed peasants to sell any additional food products they produce at market prices after they have achieved the state quota of their farming collective. Farmers were also allowed to keep a portion of the crop that they grew on collective farms that exceeded state quotas, encouraging them to work harder on state land and not focus solely on their own private plots. Another important was the replacement of output quotas in many industries with profit targets. Increased government wages for industrial workers has increased morale, and there are greater incentives in the modern era to achieve a higher level of education, as skilled workers are now paid more than unskilled workers. In addition, more emphasis has been placed on managerial and technical competence rather than just ideological conformity, although loyalty to the state and the party is still an important prerequisite in industries considered strategically vital to the state, such as arms manufacturing. However, despite all of these reforms, the state still imposes harsh penalties for laziness and absenteeism. Furthermore, peasants that have not met state quotas yet sell agricultural products privately face heavy punishments, thus helping to maintain the productivity of state owned land. Regional development Key national projects Financial and banking system The Tabi'atstani banking system is highly centralised, and is controlled by the state-owned Central National People's Bank of Tabi'atstan, which is the only official bank of the USSRT. Currency, exchange rate and inflation The Tabi'atstani rouble (TR) is the currency of the USSRT, and is a fiat currency. Economic sectors Agriculture Although the arid far northern coastal regions of Kazemostan province were the traditional rice growing areas of the Grand Monarchy of Kazemostan, and are still the location of several rice plantations, rice cultivation was mostly moved to the eastern jungle regions of the USSRT after the communist revolution and the Tabi'atstani Civil War, as the environment there is more suitable for rice growing. The main varieties of rice grown in the USSRT are similar to basmati rice, with long grains and a fragrant aroma. The majority of farms in the USSRT are either collective farms or state-owned farms, although a small number of private plots do exist. Collective farms are self-governing, meaning that they are able to pursue projects on their own initiative, but are subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, giving the state strong control over what collective farms produce and what projects they pursue. Recognising, however, that immediate mechanisation may not necessarily be the best course of action, the Tabi'astani state allows collective farms to decide on their own pace of mechanisation. This is especially true in terms of rice cultivation, where traditional methods are more productive and efficient than mechanised farming. One of the most important food crops in Tabi'atstan is tea. Tea plays a significant role in Tabi'atstani culture, and is drunk with almost every meal in Tabi'atstan. Whilst the mechanised CTC (crush, tear, curl) method of tea production is used in some areas, it is by no means prevalent, and most tea in Tabi'atstan is made using the orthodox method despite it being more labour intensive. Varieties of all six main types of tea (green, white, oolong, black, pu'er, and yellow) are grown in Tabi'atstan. The Chinese Tang dynasty method of steaming tea leaves and forming them into tea bricks for the purposes of storage and transport has resulted in a local variant of matcha, called mocha (抹茶, Mǒchá). Tabi'astani mocha is similar to Japanese Usucha Matcha. Viticulture and the growth of crops for the production of wine is a major aspect of the Tabi'atstani agricultural sector. Alcohol production has a long history in Tabi'atstan, and ancient Tabi'atstanis are known for having been fond of wine. Traditional Tabi'atstani liquors are typically made from local varieties of sorghum and rice, although grape wines and grape growing became popular after first contact with the world outside the Toy Islands. Citrus fruits, grown primarily on the southern coast of the Tabi'atstani continent, are a major cash crop. Historically, raiders from what is now the TBRE would make attempts to develop small colonies in southern Tabi'atstan for the growth of citrus. Sesame and rapeseed are important to Tabi'atstani agriculture, being grown for both edible and industrial oil. Fishing The USSRT has a very large fishing fleet that includes roughly 3,200 vessels. This fleet of ships is under the complete control of the Ministry of Fisheries. Tabi'atstani fishing vessels typically operate in groups centred around one large factory vessel, often containing facilities for freezing and canning fish. The majority of Tabi'atstani fishing vessels are equipped with the NAME satellite navigation system that have automated position reporting systems, allowing fishery authorities to monitor the location of fishing fleets. Like the TBRE, Tabi'atstan is known for its vorkfish, specifically the species Culehnus mecanis. Another fish associated with the Tabi'atstani fishing industry are the members of the family Squalidae, commonly known as dogfish. These are a type of shark of which there is little demand apart from in Europe, where they are used to make fish and chips. In Tabi'atstan, dogfish is used to make shark fin soup, generic fish steaks, shark oil for makeup and cosmetics, and shark cartilage pills. In 1983, the Soviet Union sent several sturgeons to Tabi'atstan to allow Tabi'atstani officials to study sturgeon farming. The Tabi'astani government then set up an institute to mass-produce sturgeon eggs, and by 1985 commercial harvesting of sturgeon caviar had begun in Tabi'atstan. The sturgeons farmed in Tabi'atstan are primarily Russian sturgeons (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and Siberian sturgeons (Acipenser baerii), although native Tabi'atstani sturgeons (Acipenser tabiatsis) and North Unbar sturgeons (Acipenser voreiounbar) are also used. Sturgeon caviar has since become an important export for Tabi'atstan, especially as overfishing of endangered sturgeon has driven up prices of caviar. Forestry Energy, mining and minerals Mining Coal Although the USSRT has several large nuclear power plants, the majority of electrical production is done in coal plants, with more being built as a stop-gap measure to stand-in for new nuclear power plants being built around the country. Oil and natural gas The oil industry is an important part of the Tabi'atstani economy, and the USSRT exports oil to many allied Toy Islands states. Although peak oil is an issue taken seriously by the Tabi'atstani government, Tabi'atstani oil reserves are not estimated to run out until after 2050, not taking into account reserves of unconventional oil. Oil and petroleum products account for over 30% of Tabi'atstani exports, and the country is a net exporter of oil. Metals and non-metals The USSRT is a major exporter of both precious and non-precious metals. The metal mining industry can be severely impacted by international market forces, particularly the copper industry due to fluctuations in copper prices. Peak copper is a serious issue taken under consideration by the Tabi'atstani government, and is one of the reasons for government support of the recycling industry to make use of recyclable copper in discarded products. Industry and manufacturing There are 487,213 factories in Tabi’atstan including: *227 automobile factories *1,200 aviation parts factories *29 major aircraft production factories (both civilian and military) *150 major arms production factories *1,253 factories producing components for military equipment *26 major shipbuilding yards (a major yard being one with more than 2,000 full-time employees) *9 major naval repair yards *790 other shipbuilding and ship-repair yards *15 major military vehicle production plants (including 8 tank factories) *16 major ground combat system component production plants *17 major artillery and air defence production plants *18 major small arms and light weapons production plants *11 major military optics production plants *6 major ammunition production plants *28 major defence electronics production plants *329 chemical factories *418 publishing establishments *Over 12,000 textile factories *Over 10,000 toy factories The industrial and manufacturing sector of the country's economy is divided into production for the military, export, and for the domestic civilian market. As such, factories making a single product are often split into three sections, each with their own separate workforce. The military section typically has the most experienced and well-paid workers as well as the newest machinery and the strictest quality control. The export section gets the second best equipment, whilst the domestic civilian section is left to scrape the bottom of the barrel for equipment and manpower. However, this quasi-official system has begun breaking down since reforms in 1984 due to pressure on factories to fulfill profit rather than production quotas. Recycling Tabi'atstan has a strong recycling industry that has been strongly supported by the government. In garment factories, left over strips of fabric are collected to be rendered down into yarn for knitting, whilst smaller strands and strings are used in the production of paper. This thriftiness in the usage of textiles is partially a result of previous shortages of clothing, resulting in a mindset where cloth should be used as fully as possible with little wastage. Steel industry Automotive industry The automobile industry is an important part of the Tabi'atstani manufacturing industry, with the country having around 227 automobile production plants as well as numerous other factories producing automobile parts. Tabi'atstani automobile factories mostly manufacture license-produced vehicles, although indigenous Tabi'atstani designs also exist and are manufactured as well. Services Tourism Tourism is a relatively new and less developed sector of the Tabi'atstani economy. Prior to 2003, foreign tourists apart from those originating from communist and other allied states were rare, and international tourism was near non-existent during the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War. International tourists arriving in Tabi'atstan typically visit to see cultural attractions, and some local theme parks do exist that attract tourists from around the world. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals As healthcare is provided for free by the state in Tabi'atstan, private healthcare makes up a very small portion of the economy and is not very popular in the country. Most private healthcare companies in Tabi'atstan focus on beauty and cosmetic surgery. These practices are heavily regulated by the state, and there are very strict consumer laws regarding these businesses. As such, Tabi'atstan is the destination of many health tourists, primarily from the states of the Maticoundan Union or the southern Toy Islands, especially since such services are comparatively cheap in Tabi'atstan. Central planning Government planning of the Tabi'atstani economy is split into three timescales; short-term annual planning, five-year plans, and long-term planning that can cover a period of time as long as fifteen to twenty years. Short-term planning Five-year plans Long-term planning Labour and welfare All factories in the USSRT are legally required to provide at least one hot meal per day to their employees, and factories are often able to obtain special consignments for non-staple foodstuffs for their workers. Women with newborn children are eligible to recieve one year off of maternity leave, with four months at full pay, and most factories provide creches and other children day-care services for women members of the workforce. Factories where accidents are likely to happen are required by state law to maintain medical stations, and the state also provides free healthcare for all citizens. However, there is no unemployment benefit system in place. External trade Foreign investment Category:Tabi'atstan Category:Economy of Tabi'atstan